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Old Mon Mar 19, 2012, 01:24 AM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Faithx4 View Post
However-as we begin this next phase we are struggling with the risk's associated with the road ahead and the unknown. The doctor told my parents that time is of the essence--his new sense or urgency is concerning. The weekly transfusions don't appear to be giving dad the "boost" they once provided.
Hi Faithx4.

As patients and caregivers it's hard for us to second guess the advice of someone else's doctor. You might want to get your dad a second opinion from another doctor with aplastic anemia experience. That could give you a better understanding of your dad's condition and his doctor's advice, or possibility a differing medical opinion that would help focus your questions on the choices that make the most sense.

Quote:
I would love to hear from others who have successfully conqured BMT--especially those around the same age as my dad. Also, dad's only sibling is 68 years old--if he is a match will age be a factor in the success of the transplant?
Doctors usually prefer (a) the best matched donor, to reduce the risk of rejection and (b) younger donors, whose marrow can best contribute to long-term survival (although this may not be as important for a 60-year-old patient as it would be for a 16-year-old patient). They also want to avoid any risk to the donor, and older donors may have their own health conditions. So yes, age is one of the factors, to be weighed against how good the match is. If it turns out that there's a choice among multiple donors then the doctors can rely on research and statistics to recommend which donor is best to use.

Quote:
What happens if my uncle isn't a match and a match is not identified on the donor registry? I am scared....I worry that dad's age, my uncle's age and "time" is not on our side.
If there are absolutely no exactly matching donors, doctors may consider a partially matched donor and compare that to the other choices: continued "wait and watch" with supportive treatments (transfusisions and/or growth factors) or another round of ATG. If it's clear that he needs to move forward with a transplant now, then you and your brother should learn all you can about what that entails so you'll be best prepared to help him through it.
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